Editor:
Recently this publication gave up valuable column inches to report on a Daytona Beach Volvo dealership “survey” (“Pennsylvania Turnpike ranks among most loathed interstates in the U.S.“) that, without published methodology, dubbed our roadway “loathsome.”
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission does significant, legitimate research among our customers. Those studies found that 80 percent of users indicate the PA Turnpike is a convenient way to travel within our state and more than 60 percent of active users who reside in Philadelphia or Pittsburgh gave the PA Turnpike an overall rating of ‘very good’ or ‘excellent.’
We also receive high marks for outpacing national standards for roadway rideability and overall safety. And as we build out the next phase of electronic tolling, which is open road tolling, the chokepoints that customers may now experience will be eliminated.
Conversely, the article included no methodology or information on whether respondents had personally travelled on our roads or how recently and it doesn’t note where respondents lived, or how many respondents answered questions specific to the PA Turnpike. In our attempts to answer these questions with the dealership, we received no response.
We expect this publication to do better by its readers and spend time on stories related to actual issues facing our Commonwealth and leave the ‘clickbait’ behind.
Mark P. ComptonCEO, Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
